1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to surgical instruments and, more particularly, to access assemblies for providing access to internal body cavities, tissues and organs.
2. Background of Related Art
Laparoscopic surgical procedures are minimally invasive procedures in which operations are carried out within the body by means of elongated instruments inserted through small incisions in the body. Laparoscopic procedures are desirable in that they improve patient recovery time and minimize hospital stays as compared to open surgical procedures. Laparoscopic procedures also leave minimal scarring (both internally and externally) and reduce patient discomfort during the recovery period.
During a typical laparoscopic, or minimally invasive procedure, surgical objects, such as surgical access devices, e.g., trocar and cannula assemblies, or endoscopes, are inserted into the patient's body through the incision in tissue. In general, prior to the introduction of the surgical object into the patient's body, insufflation gasses are used to enlarge the area surrounding the target surgical site to create a larger, more accessible work area. Accordingly, the maintenance of a substantially fluid-tight seal is desirable so as to prevent the escape of the insufflation gases and the deflation or collapse of the enlarged surgical site.
Due to the relatively small interior dimensions of the cannulas and/or access ports used in laparoscopic procedures, only elongated, small diametered instrumentation may be used to access the internal body cavities and organs. The manipulation of such instruments within the internal body is similarly limited by both spatial constraints and the need to maintain the body cavity in an insufflated state.